Friday, March 16, 2012

Warm Mushroom Salad

Ina Garten is #39 on Gourmet's list of Women Game-Changers in Food. She is known for using fresh ingredients and de-mystifying recipes so that the average home cook can truly make them. Her circular path to the top of the Food Empire is well-known. She spent years in Washington D.C. as a White House Nuclear Policy Analyst. Somewhere along the way there was a seemingly impulse buy of the Barefoot Contesssa (A gourmet food store) in the Hamptons. (This is one smart woman - not sure how much of an "impulse buy" this truly was!) The Barefoot Contessa led the way to creating recipes for her store. She was mentored by such luminaries as Eli Zabar (from Eli's Manhattan in NYC) and Martha Stewart. Cooking and catering led to cookbooks. Cookbooks led to a cooking show and Garten remains on the map as a mover and a shaker in the food world.

(Ina Garten at a book signing in Chapel Hill, NC 2006; photo from Wikipedia)

I own two of her cookbooks. My husband's side of the family is - numerous! When I have a family gathering 40-45 people of all generations will show up.That is not the time to try out your 12-step recipe! I have found her recipes add elegance to the proceedings and her food is packed with flavor - because the woman is not afraid of using fat!

It's been written that the ease and success of her recipes is because she is very careful to have the recipes tested by others again and again before she publishes them. I chose Garten's Warm Mushroom Salad from Barefoot in Paris. In the opening paragraph, Garten admits, "It's Italian!"

Mushrooms - you love them or you hate them (especially if you are a child). In this recipe - you love them. There's an early spring brewing around the country. Although in Minnesota - we are skeptical.

"Does this mean it will snow for 8 months next year," asks my daughter.

"Does this mean we will have 100-degree weather all summer," I muse.

A smart person would tell us to turn off our thoughts, get outside and enjoy the early warmth. Think of this March as a gift - instead of worrying what Mother Nature in Minnesota is really planning!

The warm mushroom salad is indeed perfect for spring - it's fresh, a tad meaty (and you can certainly omit the prosciutto to make it vegetarian; all right - you want vegan? Eliminate the cheese, too!) Garten suggested cremini mushrooms for this - I used a mushroom blend. Portobello mushrooms would also be delicious in this. It's hearty enough for a proper lunch. And if I had leftovers - I would be nibbling this for breakfast.

Clean mushrooms by brushing them with a sponge - do not wash or immerse in water. Remove stems and save for another use (I just used them.) Slice the caps 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick.

In a large saute pan, melt the butter and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. When all is bubbly add the mushrooms, salt and pepper. Saute 5 minutes over medium heat - stirring. Lower the heat and saute another 2-3 minutes until cooked.

Arrange arugula on plates - 1 cup for each plate. Drape your prosciutto over the arugula. When the mushrooms are cooked, add the sherry vinegar and the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Stir. Spoon the warm mushrooms on top of the arugula and prosciutto. With a vegetable peeler, shave parmesan on top of all. Sprinkle Italian parsley and sun-dried tomatoes about. Finish with a bit more of the salt and pepper. Serve.

Please check out what the other bloggers are doing for Week 39 of Female Chef Gourmet Game Changers. And if you want to join in the fun, e-mail Mary at One Perfect Bite. Mary started this delectable journey.

I am such a Barefoot Contessa fan, in part for exactly the reason you mentioned--her recipes are almost fail-safe. This salad is gorgeous--that top photo has me thinking about this weekend's dinners already.

Claudia- I have also been wondering if we'll be having 100 degree + weather this summer. In that case I guess I'll be spending the summer indoors in my kitchen :) I can't deal with high temps like that.

This mushroom salad looks so savory and delicious. Ina always hits it on the mark. She is such a go to for recipes.

What a lovely choice, Claudia. It really is a perfect salad for any time of year. I do hope you get out and enjoy that beautiful weather. My money is on a long hot summer, so enjoy these heavenly spells while you can. Have a wonderful weekend. Blessings...Mary

Ina is a favorite of mine and with her passion for creating she has had a wonderful career. I have never put mushrooms in a salad before, but after seeing this-that has to change! This is a healthy and tasty creation. Glad you posted this. Hope you are enjoying your weekend!

Love it - even if it's Italian in Paris! :-))40-50 people come chez toi? Wow, Claudia. Sounds like you could write your own cookbook. My fav recipes are ones that use some form of fat! Loving these mushrooms.

Fantastic meal Claudia! I love each dish of Ina's that I've made, so I'm sure this is a winner too. Love all those mushrooms. When my kids were young, I hardly used mushrooms because of my picky eaters. Now that everyone is married, I can indulge anytime.

Hello Claudia,I have 'tagged' you in my post and would love to have you come over and take a look:)Hope it will be fun for you!!Do stop by!http://witwokandwisdom.blogspot.com/2012/03/of-tags-and-awards-and-much-delayed-ode.html

It's hard to believe that Ina is so far down the list. I own four of her cookbooks and have used recipes from some of the others. She's a genius with recipes that are simple yet delicious, and I've been happy with every recipe of hers that I've tried. I haven't tried this one yet, but now it's on the list!

I am so embarrassed that I haven't been here to read this post before now! Busy week, family stuff, etc ... that said, I am so glad I got here! This is a killer recipe! I love a warm addition to a salad!I love how it wilts down the greens just a bit and makes for a change up in the flavours of the greens just by the addition of the warmth ... that Ina! She comes up with good ones, doesn't she?

i love ina garten, she shares easy recipes and no fuss preparation. this warm salad will be in my list when i get back to the cold USA haha.. for now, i would like to have anything cold... it's summer over here in the Philippines....waving hello from the Far East,Malou

I think Ina could well be number one on the list, at least for me. I love her elegant but casual style. Frsh ingredients, but not fussy food. This salad is a perfect example. I'm trying it tonight. I love the addition of something warm to a salad.